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Background Assessing the public’s willingness to pay (WTP) for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine by the contingent valuation (CV) method can provide a relevant basis for government pricing. However, the scope issue of the CV method can seriously affect the validity and reliability of the estimation results. Aim To examine whether there are scope issues in respondents’ WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine and to further verify the validity and reliability of the CV estimate results. Method In this study, nine different CV double-bounded dichotomous choices (DBDC) hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine scenarios were designed using an orthogonal experimental design based on the vaccine’s attributes. A total of 2450 samples from 31 provinces in Mainland China were collected to independently estimate the public’s WTP in these nine scenarios with logistic, normal, log-logistic and log-normal parameter models. Based on this estimation, several external scope tests were designed to verify the validity and reliability of the CV estimate results. Results In the 20 pairs of COVID-19 vaccine scenarios, 6 pairs of scenarios were classified as negative scope issues, therefore not passing the external scope test. Of the remaining 14 pairs of scenarios, only four pairs of scenarios completely passed the external scope test, and one pair of scenarios partially passed the external scope test. Significant negative scope and scope insensitivity issues were revealed. Conclusion In the context of a dynamic pandemic environment, the findings of this study reveal that the CV method may face difficulty in effectively estimating respondents’ WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine. We suggest that future studies be cautious in applying the CV method to estimate the public’s WTP for the COVID-19 vaccine. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40258-021-00706-9.

This work is aimed at developing a novel apparatus that combines inclined plate settler (IPS) and electrocoagulation (EC) to improve the emulsified oil removal efficiency with lower energy consumpt...

Ring-finger protein 126 (RNF126), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, plays crucial roles in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, DNA damage repair, and intracellular vesicle trafficking. Whether RNF126 is modulated by posttranslational modifications is poorly understood. Here, we show that PARP1 interacts with and poly(ADP)ribosylates RNF126, which then recruits the PAR-binding E3 ubiquitin ligase CHFR to promote ubiquitination and degradation of RNF126. Moreover, RNF126 is required for the activation of ATR-Chk1 signaling induced by either irradiation (IR) or a PARP inhibitor (PARPi), and depletion of RNF126 increases the sensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells to PARPi treatment. Our findings suggest that PARPi-mediated upregulation of RNF126 protein stability contributes to TNBC cell resistance to PARPi. Therefore, targeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF126 may be a novel treatment for overcoming the resistance of TNBC cells to PARPi in clinical trials.

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has one of the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. COPD-related deaths are associated with inflammation and immunity. As one of the emerging indicators of inflammation and immune status, the (neutrophil + monocyte) / lymphocyte ratio (NMLR) may comprehensively reflect the inflammatory and immune status of the body. However, few studies have examined the association between the NMLR and all-cause mortality in patients with COPD. Objective The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between NMLR and all-cause death in patients with COPD. Method Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2018 with mortality follow-up through to December 31, 2019 were analyzed. A total of 2045 participants were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups based on their median NMLR: patients with an NMLR ≤ 2.57 were assigned to the T1 group (n = 1,026), while patients with an NMLR > 2.57 were assigned to the T2 group (n = 1,019). The relationship between the NMLR and all-cause mortality in patients with COPD was assessed using survival curves based on the NHANES recommended weights. Conclusions The NMLR is a comprehensive assessment index of airway inflammation and patient immune status. A higher NMLR in patients with COPD is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

The conservation of marine tourism resources based on the public’s preference for non-use values is important to the sustainable development of marine tourism. The objectives of this article are to...

In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of organic/inorganic hybrid materials based on living self-assembly. First, polyoxometalate (Keggin-type phosphotungstic acid, H3PW12O40) (POM) as an inorganic constituent and surface active ionic liquid (1-dodecyl-3-carboxymethyl imidazolium bromide, [N-C12, N′-COOH-Im]Br) (SAIL) as an organic constituent, were utilized to construct organic/inorganic hybrid nanofibers via an ionic self-assembly approach. The time-dependent evolution of the morphology from nanoparticles to nanofibers was investigated using various techniques (e.g. SEM, TEM, and UV/Vis). Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were proved to play a dominant role in the evolution process. Next, of particular interest, POM/[N-C12, N′-COOH-Im]Br hybrid nanofibers were also obtained via a living self-assembly process by mixing metastable nanoparticle building blocks and seeds generated via ultrasonication of nanofibers. It is observed that the metastable nanoparticles directly bound to the end of the seeds, resulting in the formation of nanofibers. This strategy reduces the morphological evolution time from 7 days to 24 h, which suggests that the introduction of seeds greatly lowers the energy barrier in the morphological evolution process. Our study indicates that organic/inorganic hybrid materials can be obtained via living self-assembly. This will facilitate the use of functional organic/inorganic hybrid materials in various applications. Furthermore, this study represents an important step toward artificial systems that can mimic biological systems.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has not been well controlled, and vaccination could be an effective way to prevent this pandemic. By accommodating attribute nonattendance (ANA) in a discrete choice experiment (DCE), this paper aimed to examine Chinese public preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for COVID-19 vaccine attributes, especially the influence of ANA on the estimated results.A DCE was designed with four attributes: effectiveness, protection period, adverse reactions and price. A random parameter logit model with an error component (RPL-EC) was used to analyse the heterogeneity of respondents' preferences for COVID-19 vaccine attributes. Two equality constraint latent class (ECLC) models were used to consider the influence of ANA on the estimated results in which the ECLC-homogeneity model considered only ANA and the ECLC-heterogeneity model considered both ANA and preference heterogeneity.Data from 1,576 samples were included in the analyses. Effectiveness had the highest relative importance, followed by adverse reactions and protection period, which were determined by the attributes and levels presented in this study. The ECLC-heterogeneity model improved the goodness of fit of the model and obtained a lower probability of ANA. In the ECLC-heterogeneity model, only a small number of respondents (29.09%) considered all attributes, and price was the most easily ignored attribute (64.23%). Compared with the RPL-EC model, the ECLC-homogeneity model obtained lower WTPs for COVID-19 vaccine attributes, and the ECLC-heterogeneity model obtained mixed WTP results. In the ECLC-heterogeneity model, preference group 1 obtained higher WTPs, and preference groups 2 and 3 obtained lower WTPs.The RPL-EC, ECLC-homogeneity and ECLC-heterogeneity models obtained inconsistent WTPs for COVID-19 vaccine attributes. The study found that the results of the ECLC-heterogeneity model considering both ANA and preference heterogeneity may be more plausible because ANA and low preference may be confused in the ECLC-homogeneity model and the RPL-EC model. The results showed that the probability of ANA was still high in the ECLC-heterogeneity model, although it was lower than that in the ECLC-homogeneity model. Therefore, in future research on DCE (such as the field of vaccines), ANA should be considered as an essential issue.Chinese adults from 31 provinces in mainland China participated in the study. All participants completed the COVID-19 vaccine choice questions generated through the DCE design.

Objective: To explore the effect of LncRNA SNHG1 on the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells by competitive binding to miR-101 using bioinformatics analysis. Methods: We used quantitative real-time PCR analyzed the differential expression of SNHG1 in non-small cell lung to analyze cancer tissues, adjacent nontumorous tissues, non-small cell lung cancer cell lines (A549, SPC-A1) and normal human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Transient transfected A549 cells with siRNA SNHG1 plasmid and detected the proliferation and apoptosis of cells in vitro or in vivo by MTT assay, apoptosis test and model tumor of athymic mouse. SNHG1 plasmid vector containing miR-101 predicted binding site to investigate whether SNHG1 was a functional target of miR-101 by luciferase reporter assay. The interaction between SNHG1 and miR-101 on the proliferation of A549 cells was investigated by transfection of miR-101-ih and then monitored the expression of SNHG1. Results: We found that expression of SNHG1 was up-regulated in NSCLC tissues and A549 cell lines. Furthermore, function assays showed that SNHG1 inhibition suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation both in vitro and outside vivo, and accelerated the apoptosis in vitro. We also found that the luciferase activity was significantly decreased by the co-transfection of miR-101-mim and SNHG1-Wt. In addition, we found that inhibition of SNHG1 led to significantly increased expression of miR-101. The expression of SNHG1 and the proliferation of A549 cells in cells that transfected with miR-101-ih was significantly higher than control group. Conclusions: LncRNA SNHG1 had a direct interaction with miR-101, and miR-101 was an inhibitory target for SNHG1 in NSCLC progression. The inhibition of miR-101 could enhanced the expression of SNHG1 and promoted the proliferation of A549 cells. This can be verified using bioinformatics analysis.

A simple, low-cost and label-free strategy for detecting lithocholic acid (LCA) was designed at the liquid crystals (LCs)/aqueous interface via competitive host-guest inclusion. In this method, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was initially adsorbed on the fluid interface and induced LCs to adopt the homeotropic ordering. Inclusion complexation of SDS and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) disturbed interaction between LCs and SDS and evoked LCs to keep a tilted alignment. When injecting LCA into the mixed solution of SDS and β-CD, SDS excluded from the cavity of β-CD by competitive host-guest inclusion and could be re-adsorbed at the LCs/aqueous interface, resulting in the orientational transition of LCs from tilted to homeotropic state. Correspondingly, a bright-to-dark optical response was observed under polarized optical microscope (POM). The as-prepared LCs-based sensor could detect LCA as low as about 2 μM in aqueous solution. Moreover, the practicability of the approach was validated by monitoring the known amount of LCA in human urine. This work offers an appealing approach for the detection of LCA which has a great potentiality in clinical diagnosis.

Objective Serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is associated with immune and inflammatory responses. This study aimed to assess the performance of serum HE4 in the early detection of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Serum HE4 levels were measured in 199 patients with COPD, all of whom were prospectively followed up for a median period of 36 months (range = 3 months–38 months). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) history and HE4 in patients with COPD. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to assess the prognostic value of serum HE4 for predicting CV events. Results Serum HE4 levels were higher in patients with COPD with CV events than in those without CV events (252.6 pmol/L [186.4–366.8] vs 111.0 pmol/L [84.8–157.1]; P Conclusion Our results showed that serum HE4 was significantly and independently associated with CVD history and had independent predictive value for CV events in patients with COPD. Serum HE4 may enable early recognition of CV complication development among patients with COPD.

An increasing number of studies have indicated that red blood cell distribution width (RDW) may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of various malignancies. However, to date, data on the association of RDW with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are unclear. Our present study aimed to explore the value of RDW in NSCLC patients. A total of 338 NSCLC patients, 109 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients, and 302 healthy participants were retrospectively analyzed between January 2016 and December 2018. In the present study, we found that RDW was significantly increased in NSCLC patients. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of RDW was 0.753 in discriminating NSCLC patients from healthy participants, the optimal cut-off value of RDW was 12.95, and the specificity and sensitivity were 76.33% and 76.16%, respectively. Further analysis found that RDW can enhance the diagnostic performance of Cyfra21-1 and NSE in discriminating NSCLC patients from healthy participants or SCLC patients. Among NSCLC patients, RDW was significantly correlated with TNM stage, T stage, N stage, M stage, and Cyfra21-1, indicating that RDW may be helpful for predicting the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Our findings suggest that RDW can be used as an auxiliary marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC.

Background: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies and/or T cells lead to enhanced peripheral platelet destruction and reduced bone marrow platelet production. The dysregulated CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the pathophysiology of ITP. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) were recently found to suppress effector T cell responses and to have beneficial effects in various immune disorders. However, it is not clear how ADSCs could affect ITP. This study is aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of ADSCs on the treatment of ITP mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: A passive immune thrombocytopenia animal model was induced by injection of the monoclonal antiplatelet antibody MWReg30, and ADSC injection was performed on the 2nd day after ITP induction. PLT counts have been measured by an automatic blood cell counter daily after ADSC transplant for 6 days. The frequency of Tregs in the blood was analyzed by flow cytometry. mRNAs and proteins of Foxp3, TGF-β1 and IL-10 in the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes were detected by RT-PCR and western blotting respectively. Findings: Transplant of ADSCs on ITP mice led to increased PLT counts, an up-regulation of Tregs in the blood, and an up-regulation of Foxp3, TGF-β1 and IL-10 mRNA and protein in the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes as compared with the untreated ITP mice. Conclusion: ADSCs transplant may be an available method in therapy of ITP. ADSCs transplant may affect proliferation and function of Tregs in ITP, and Foxp3, TGF-β1 and IL-10 may be involved in this process. Funding: This work was supported by the Youth Program of National Natural Science Founds (8150091), The Doctoral Start Project of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2015A030310022) and the Youth Program of Natural Science Founds of Hunan Province (2018JJ3472). Declaration of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval: All experimental procedures conformed to the Guidelines of Animal Experiments from the Chinese Committee of Medical Ethics and were approved by the Commission of Animal Research, Sun Yat-sen University Medical Center. Raw human aspirates from patients undergoing lipectomy were collected after obtaining informed consent according to procedures approved by the Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital of South China University.

Fabrications and applications of luminescent films have been an interesting and important challenge within the realm of academia and industry. Herein, a novel fluorescence-based strategy for the H2O2 detection has been developed by fabrication of stabilized, thin, transparent, and luminescent films composed of europium-containing polyoxometalates (Eu-POM) and environmentally friendly chitosan (CS) via a facile solution casting approach. In comparison with pure Eu-POM, enhanced fluorescent properties are obtained from the as-prepared Eu-POM/CS films in terms of prolonged fluorescence lifetime and a remarkable fluorescent quenching effect in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The fluorescence intensity of Eu-POM/CS films exhibits a linear correlation in response to the H2O2 concentration over a wide range of 1.1–66 μM, with a detection limit of 0.11 μM. Furthermore, the fluorescent films display a high detection selectivity which are capable of differentiating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from the interfering species, such as sugars, l -amino acids, and other metabolites. All these advances towards the development of Eu-POM/CS films open up new applications for luminescent films, but most importantly, they can help in the far-reaching technological implementations of a simple, cost-effective method for the detection of H2O2 in many fields.

Aggregate behavior of N-dodecyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium salicylate ([C12mpyrr][Sal]) and N-dodecyl-N-methylpiperidinium salicylate ([C12mpip][Sal]) in aqueous solution was systematically explored, respectively. Integrated the results of this work and relevant report on 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium salicylate ([C12mim][Sal]), regulatory effect of head group in surface active ionic liquids (SAILs) with aromatic counterion on their self-assembly behavior was demonstrated. Both [C12mim][Sal] and [C12mpip][Sal] display lower cmc value compared to [C12mpyrr][Sal] which was verified by surface tension and electrical conductivity measurements. The reasons behind the observed differences may lie in the intramolecular π-π interaction between unsaturated ring head groups and aromatic counterions for the [C12mim][Sal] and more positive interaction energy between [C12mpip][Sal] and water molecules than [C12mpyrr][Sal] calculated from density function theory (DFT). Entropy was regarded as the thermodynamic driving force during micellization process of the two SAILs within the range of temperature studied. Similar to [C12mim][Sal], a hexagonal liquid crystalline phase (H1) and a cubic liquid crystalline phase (V2) appear sequentially with the increasing concentration of [C12mpyrr][Sal], whereas for [C12mpip][Sal], only a broad region of H1 phase was observed. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) patterns suggest that analogous to [C12mim][Sal], higher concentrations of [C12mpyrr][Sal], and [C12mpip][Sal] and lower temperature can lead to a closer alignment of SAIL molecules in the H1 phase. The present work is expected to enrich the research contents on self-assembly behavior of SAILs and illuminate wide potential applications in nanomaterials, drug delivery and medicine release.

Self-assembly behavior of 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium o-anisate (C12mimA) and 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium o-bromobenzoate (C12mimB) in aqueous solution was systematically explored, respectively. Combined with the concerning results of 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium salicylate (C12mimSal) reported previously, impact of aromatic counterions with various substituent group on the aggregation behavior of surface active ionic liquids (SAILs) was demonstrated. Compared with C12mimSal, inferior surface activity of C12mimA and C12mimB can be attributed to deficiency of H-bonding. Lower critical micelle concentration (cmc) of C12mimB than C12mimA may result from the less negative interaction energy between it and water molecule, testified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. An investigation of temperature effect on cmc reveals that, micellization processes of these two SAILs are entropic-driven within the range of temperature studied. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) were employed to determine the generation of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs). Similar to C12mimSal, a hexagonal liquid crystalline phase (H1) and a cubic liquid crystalline phase (V2) appear successively with the increasing concentration of C12mimA and C12mimB. While only at higher concentration than C12mimSal, they can exhibit V2 phase. Structural parameters calculated from SAXS patterns suggest that higher concentration or temperature can lead to a closer alignment of SAIL molecules. Rheological results of LLC formed by the two SAILs show traits of general H1 phase analogous to C12mimSal. This work can provide insights into the self-assembly behavior of SAILs and facilitate their potential applications in some fields, e.g. nanomaterial preparation and drug delivery, etc.

A 28 nm CMOS software-defined transceiver (SDTRX) enabling high-speed data (HSD) streaming, including ultra HD TV, within home cable networks is presented. By making efficient use of available cable bandwidth, the SDTRX dynamically handles up to 1024-QAM OFDM-modulated HSD streams. This paper addresses SDTRX system-level design methodology as the key driver in enabling performance optimization for achieving a wide frequency range of operation at lowest power and area consumption. By employing an optimized architecture constructed on available state-of-the-art 28 nm functional building blocks, the monolithic SDTRX consists of a mixer-based harmonic rejection RX with a digital-to-analog converter-based TX and a smart phase-locked loop system. It operates over 0.4–1.7 GHz frequency range while consuming less than 475 mW in half-duplex mode. Moreover, by developing a simple transmitter (TX) to receiver (RX) loopback circuit, the system is enabled to efficiently calibrate TX output power and to remove the need for a dedicated external pin. This low-cost SDTRX is embedded in various 28 nm CMOS multimedia system-on-chip and is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first reported transceiver front-end to enable true HSD streaming within home cable networks.

Pyrrolidinium-based surface active ionic liquid (SAIL), N -butyl- N -methylpyrrolidinium dodecyl sulfate ([C 4 MP][C 12 H 25 SO 4 ]), was synthesized and its aggregation behavior was regulated by varying the concentration of SAIL and composition of H 2 O-ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) mixed solvent. Particularly interesting is that [C 4 MP][C 12 H 25 SO 4 ] could not only form diverse lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs), viz. hexagonal (H 1 ) and lamellar liquid crystal (L α ) phases, in the water-rich environment, but also serve as an effective small molecule gelator and construct weak gel (W) and gel (G) in EAN-abundant binary solvent. The microstructures of LLC phases (H 1 and L α phases) were observed by polarized optical microscopy (POM). Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results affirm that the gels formed by different concentration of SAIL have the nearly constant interlayer spacing, and the H 1 phase at higher [C 4 MP][C 12 H 25 SO 4 ] concentration has a lower distance between the neighboring cylinders. Rheological measurements testify that the viscoelasticity of LLC phase reduces with the increasing content of EAN in the mixed solvent whereas increases with increase in concentration of SAIL. This work provides new insights into the aggregation behavior of SAILs in mixed solvents and the aggregates investigated may have potential applications in some fields, e.g. materials preparation and drug delivery, etc.

The oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions, especially oily wastewater from EOR oilfield, generally contain small oil droplets in the continuous water phase, which is difficult to be removed with conventional oil separation process such as precipitation, flotation. The electrostatic coalescence is a promising pretreatment step to induce the oil droplets coalescence and promote the oil separation efficiency of conventional methods. In order to explore the feasibility of electrostatic demulsification for O/W emulsions, the influence of operating parameters including electric voltage, pulsatile frequency, water content of emulsions and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on oil diameter distribution of the emulsions were studied using dynamic demulsification experiment. The volume percentage of oil droplets with a diameter exceeding 40 μm (denoted as DG40) was adopted as the main indicator of demulsification results, it increased from 0 (the original emulsions) to 65.62% (the treated emulsions) at the optimal operation parameters including water content of emulsions 90 vol%, electric voltage 150 V, pulsatile frequency 1000 Hz, duty cycle ratio 0.5, hydraulic retention time (HRT) 60 s. Furthermore, the water separation efficiency for emulsions reached 82.5% at 11 min of the dynamic experiment duration. The results of this study showed that applying pulsatile electric field could be a feasible and effective technology for emulsified oil droplets coalescence in O/W emulsions.

A facile, low-cost and label-free liquid crystals (LCs) sensing platform laden with Cu(ClO4)2 was herein established for detection and distinction of sulfhydryl amino acids, namely cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy). When introducing Cys or Hcy to the fluid interface with Cu(ClO4)2, the optical appearance of LCs exhibited a bright-to-dark transition, which coupled to the interactions between Cu2+ and the sulphydryl of amino acids. Concomitantly with, the orientation of LCs varied from tilted to homeotropic state. Besides, this sensor system did not respond to other nineteen amino acids that make up human proteins. The detection limit of Cys and Hcy is around 0.01 mg/mL (~82.5 μM) and 0.05 mg/mL (~370.0 μM), respectively. Compared with Cys, the as-prepared LCs sensing platform shows a higher detection limit and longer response time for Hcy, based on which these two sulfhydryl amino acids can be distinguished from each other. This can be attributed to the additional methylene for Hcy, resulting in formation of a five-membered ring Hcy thiolactone which may not chelate with Cu2+. The LCs-based analytical platform constructed in this work can provide a convenient and label-free method for detecting and differentiating sulfhydryl amino acids.

A series of cationic gemini surfactants with diverse chemical structures, that is, imidazolium-based gemini surface active ionic liquids (gemini IM-SAILs) with different alkyl chain length or spacer length, viz. 1,s-bis(3-alkylimidazolium-1-yl) ethane bromide ([Cn-s-Cnim]Br2; s = 2, n = 6, 8, 10, 12, 16; n = 12, s = 2, 4, 6, 10), and quaternary ammonium-based gemini surfactants (gemini QASaa) with different symmetries, viz. 1,2-bisalkylquaternary ammonium bromide (m-2-n; m = 12, 14, 16, n = 8, 10, 12, m + n = 24), were synthesized and utilized to decorate aqueous/liquid crystal interfaces (ALI). Initially, the optical response of the LCs changed from bright to dark after incubation with gemini IM-SAILs (except [C6-2-C6im]Br2) or gemini QASaa aqueous solutions, due to the formation of stable surfactant monolayers at the ALI. We verify that gemini IM-SAILs with shorter spacer or longer hydrophobic chains are more conducive to adsorption onto the interface, and gemini IM-SAILs form monolayers more easily than the corresponding monomers or gemini QASaa. Interestingly, a dark-to-bright shift in the optical image of the LCs subsequently occurred after the fluid interface decorated with the gemini surfactants came into contact with Bovine serum albumin (BSA), a negatively charged protein in neutral environments, whereas the optical appearance of LCs did not change upon addition of two other proteins with positive charge (viz. lysozyme and trypsin). Therefore, based on the different action mechanisms, a low-cost, label-free, and convenient LC-based sensing platform using the gemini surfactant-decorated LC interface was constructed for identification of the proteins with opposite charges.

Studies on supramolecular gel aggregates via supramolecular interactions are very fascinating and impressive. The interactions of gelator with solvent and inorganic salt can functionalize, activate, or control the properties of supramolecular gels. A lot of work on this area has been done, but all these contributions are only at an early stage. In this work, we tuned the gel formation conditions and properties by using low-molecular-weight gelator (LMWGs), amide-functionalized imidazolium-based surfactant, viz., N-cetyl-N′-acetamido imidazolium bromide ([N-C16, N′-CONH2-Im]Br), in different solvents and with inorganic salt additives. Under chemical (Cu2+/H2O2) and physical (temperature) stimuli, gel-sol phase transition occurred in the gel formed from 2 wt% [N-C16, N′-CONH2-Im]Br in the solvent formamide (FM). Accompanied with increased mechanical strength of the gels, morphology alternation from initial straight stripe-shaped structures to curly belt-like textures was observed in the addition of CuBr2. From Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements, bilayer units with interdigitated hydrocarbon tails of the gelator were testified to appear in the gels. Comparative experiments demonstrate that the π-π interaction, H-bonding, and hydrophobic interaction between the gelator molecules are the main driving forces for the gelation. The low-cost gelator, facile preparation, and coordination-driven assembly process make the robust gel a good candidate in various applications, such as material templates and drug deliveries.

This work proposed a rapid, sensitive and low-cost fluorescent assay to achieve lysozyme detection in the presence of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and rhodamine 6G (R6G). When R6G and AuNPs aqueous solutions were mixed, fluorescence of R6G was quenched via the inner filter effect (IFE). Whereas, upon addition of lysozyme into AuNPs solution, lysozyme with positive charge bound to the negatively-charged AuNPs, leading to the aggregation of AuNPs. After that, R6G as a fluorescence indicator was introduced into the above-mentioned mixture. In this case, weakened IFE occurred between AuNPs and R6G. It is found that the fluorescent intensity of R6G enhanced as the concentration of lysozyme increased. The optimum concentrations of R6G and AuNPs were studied by fluorescence spectrophotometer. Based on the above, lysozyme could be detected and its detection limit is about 1 ng/mL. Quantitative evaluation of lysozyme could be performed within a concentration range of 0.1–10 μg/mL. This strategy was also applied to monitor lysozyme in urine samples with a pleased result. It provides a great promise for the diagnosis and prognosis by fluorescence for lysozyme-related diseases.

The most common long-term complication of joint arthroplasty is aseptic loosening. The proinflammatory cytokines secreted by macrophages are involved in aseptic loosening. Recently, a novel proinflammatory cytokine IL-17C was reported to participate in inflammatory diseases by synergising with proinflammatory cytokines. However, the relationship between IL-17C and the aseptic loosening is unclear.The tissues around aseptic loosened implants were collected during revision surgery and handled by formalin fixation and embedded in paraffin. The presence of IL-17C in the tissues around the aseptic loosened implants was investigated in 12 aseptic loosening patients using immunofluorescence.The presence of IL-17C protein in the tissues around aseptic loosened implants was detected by immunofluorescence. There are no statistical differences between optical density of IL-17C in aseptic loosening samples and in rheumatoid arthritis samples (positive control).These results suggest the presence of IL-17C in aseptic loosening. Interleukin-17C was related to the inflammation of aseptic loosening, possibly by contributing to the inflammation and osteolysis in the tissues surrounding aseptic loosened implants.

RFID plays a very important role as auto-identification solution for many industrial applications. In electric power industry, UHF RFID tags are attached on smart meters, and a tag provides a unique electronic identification for a smart meter, so RFID is applied to make asset inventory for smart meters in a warehouse. However, there are just about 95% of tags that are readable for their reader because of the interference of PCB and electronic components in smart meter, thereby it has to take a lot of time to manually find out the non-responsive tags. This paper puts forward a feasible method of testing tag's performance according to multi-tags group-reading environment in the application of smart meter asset inventory, and verifies the feasibility of the method through inventory experiments, and finally gives out an optimized parameters to read 100% of tags with the sensitivity of −16.25dBm in a multi-tags environment. The method is suitable for the test of large quantities of smart meters that are densely packed in a plastic box. The proposed method can guide electric power companies to select tags and readers, and improve the efficiency of inventory for smart meters asset management.

Multi-stimuli responsive materials have attracted intense attention as extensive application prospect in many fields, yet achievement of multi-stimuli responsiveness remains a challenge. Herein, we report a tri-stimuli responsive supramolecular structure fabricated by a cationic surfactant, 4-ethyl-4'-(trimethylaminohexyloxy) azobenzene bromide (ETAB), and anionic Eu-containing polyoxometalates (Eu-POM), based on an ionic self-assembly (ISA) strategy. Following different responsive mechanisms, the resultant ETAB/Eu-POM supramolecular materials are responsive to UV light, pH, and Cu(2+), respectively. The response to UV irradiation is based on the configuration change of azobenzene molecules. The response to H(+) can be attributed to the formation of a hydrogen bond W-O···H···O-H among Eu-POM, H(+), and H2O, which blocks the energy transfer pathway from O → W, while the coordination interaction between Cu(2+) and Oc (bridged oxygen of two octahedra sharing an edge in the Eu-POM molecule) causes the response to Cu(2+). The multi-stimuli responsive characteristics for the ETAB/Eu-POM supramolecular structures maybe provide a potential application in ultraviolet detection, optical storage devices, and chemical substance sensors, etc.

A 28 nm CMOS multistandard TV tuner is presented. A power-efficient RF front end and >80 dB dynamic range ΔΣ ADC, together with a smart AGC algorithm, enable this tuner to achieve 64 dB ATSC A/74 N+6 ACI while dissipating only 180 mW. A baseband resistor weighting harmonic rejection mixer clocked by a 7–13.6 GHz PLL and single-edge-triggered shift registers achieves >58 dB harmonic rejection ratio at frequencies up to 827 MHz.

A 28 nm CMOS Software-Defined Transceiver (SDTRX) enabling High-Speed Data (HSD) streaming, including Ultra HD TV, within home cable networks is presented. By making efficient use of available cable bandwidth, the SDTRX dynamically handles up to 1024QAM OFDM-modulated HSD streams. This paper addresses SDTRX system-level design methodology as the key driver in enabling performance optimization for achieving a wide frequency range of operation at the lowest power and area consumption. By employing an optimized architecture constructed on available state-of-the art 28 nm functional building blocks, the monolithic SDTRX consists of a mixer-based harmonic rejection RX with a DAC-based TX and a smart PLL system. It operates over a 0.4-to-1.7 GHz frequency range while consuming less than 475 mW in half-duplex mode. Moreover, by developing a simple TX-RX loopback circuit, the system is enabled to efficiently calibrate TX output power and to remove the need for a dedicated external pin. This low-cost SDTRX is embedded in various 28 nm CMOS multimedia SoCs and is, to the authors' knowledge, the first reported transceiver front end to enable true high-speed data streaming within home cable networks.

BACKGROUND: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a bleeding disorder characterized by antibody-opsonized platelets (PLTs) being prematurely destroyed by macrophages in the reticuloendothelial system. T helper (Th) cells and different Th cytokines play an important role in the pathophysiology of ITP. As immunomodulators, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) regulate Th cells and show therapeutic effects in autoimmune diseases. However, it is not clear how ADSCs affect ITP. In this study, we explored the specific effects of ADSCs on ITP in mice. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal controls, ITP controls, and ITP with ADSC transplantation. PLT levels were monitored by an automatic blood cell counter, and the cytokines interferon-γ (IFN-γ); interleukin (IL)-2, -4, -10, and -17; and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Compared to the untreated ITP mice, the PLT level of the ITP mice significantly increased after ADSC treatment. In the ADSC group, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-17 significantly decreased, while IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β1 increased. CONCLUSION: These findings constitute the first experimental evidence that ADSCs are efficacious in improving PLT levels and reducing the related Th cytokines mediating proinflammatory response in ITP mice, which may provide a scientific basis for using ADSCs as a new therapy for ITP.

An integrated ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) receiver is presented. A systematic analysis to quantify the interdependence of baseband filter and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) dynamic range in broadband receivers is presented. This analysis shows that: (1) low-order Butterworth filters are favorable when undesired power is dominated by far out blockers and (2) high-order inverse Chebyshev filters can reduce the resolution of a subsequent ADC by up to two additional bits in the presence of adjacent analog narrowband blockers. Based on the analysis, a cascaded, programmable, hybrid active-RC and switched-capacitor (SC) baseband filter is proposed. An all-digital nonoverlap clock tuning system to minimize the variation of available settling time window in SC circuits is also proposed. The receiver integrates the proposed filter with an RF variable gain amplifier (RFVGA) and a passive mixer. This receiver achieves a measured noise figure of 7.9 dB, an IIP3 of -8 dBm at maximum gain and +2 dBm at 9-dB RF attenuation. The chip consumes 120 mW (RFVGA, mixer and I-channel baseband) from 1.8-V analog/2.5-V digital dual supply and occupies 2.14 mm2 in IBM 0.18-μm RF CMOS technology.

The most common long-term complication of joint arthroplasty is loosening, which is mediated by chronic inflammatory cytokines produced by macrophages stimulated by implant-derived debris and eventually bacterial components adherent to such debris. In this study, antiinflammatory interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-M (IRAK-M) was studied in macrophages in interface membranes in vivo using immunohistochemical staining and in titanium particle-stimulated macrophages in vitro using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results show that the interface membranes of septically and aseptically loosened prosthesis express more IRAK-M protein than control membranes from osteoarthritic patient and that IRAK-M mRNA-levels increase upon particle stimulation. These findings suggest that, the upregulation of IRAK-M in macrophages is involved in the local immunosuppression around implants, and may contribute to septic and aseptic implant loosening.

An embedded CMOS digital dual tuner for DOCSIS 3.0 and set-top box applications is presented. The dual tuner down-converts a total of ten 6 MHz Annex B channels or eight 8 MHz Annex A channels, for a maximum data rate of 320 Mb/s in Annex B and 400 Mb/s in Annex A mode. The dual tuner exceeds all the stringent SCTE 40 specifications over the 48-1004 MHz bandwidth, without using any external components or SAW filters. Enabling technologies are a harmonic rejection front-end, a low-noise high-frequency resolution phase-locked loop (PLL) and digital image rejection. To our knowledge this is the first reported multi-channel Broadband Tuner embedded in a DOCSIS 3.0 System on a Chip implemented in a 65 nm pure digital CMOS technology.

Aqueous solutions of mixed cationic and anionic surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium laurate (SL), have been studied by steady-state rheology and dynamic oscillatory technique. Wormlike micelles can form due to attractive interactions between the oppositely charged headgroups of CTAB and SL. The wormlike micelles formed by CTAB/SL have been compared with that of cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB)/SL by steady-state rheology method. Effects of additional components such as NaBr, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the micelles formation process have also been investigated. Cole-Cole plot has been applied to study the dynamic viscoelasticity of the wormlike micelles.